Unexpected Needs
by Evan Glaser
Summary: My apologies for not updating for 6 months. Last semester of senior year in high school. Anyway, chapter 6 is up and I reworked chapter 5. Warning: slash HPRL. Please R
1. chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any characters related to J.K. Rowling's universe.

Author's notes: After reading the Order of the Phoenix, I was a bit disappointed that Rowling didn't focus more on Lupin's reaction to Sirius' death considering that Sirius was the last of Remus' best friends who died, and that he is now the last Marauder (Wormtail doesn't count). This, then, is a story focusing on how he deals with the pain with the help of Harry.

**Unexpected Needs**

Chapter 1: An Unexpected Visitor

            A young boy was lying in his bed simply staring at the ceiling of the house at number 4, Privet Drive. At first glance, nothing would seem too abnormal about the boy besides, maybe, his unusually untidy hair that would never, ever lie flat. One would never consider that this boy was, in fact, a wizard and the most famous wizard at that. Even those who knew young Harry Potter for who he truly was would not have recognized him in his current state of being. Food and sleep deprived, he was a mere shadow of the vibrant persona he had most recently carried in his 5th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Even his usual meager state from living with the Dursley's every summer paled to his condition now. Of course, the death of one's godfather will do that to a person.

            Sirius Black having recently died (or so everyone had assumed when he fell behind the veil) at a time when Harry had needed him the most took a heavy toll on Harry's heart and soul, not to mention the toll it was taking on his body. Refusing food and sleep for a month, he was starting to look like a ghost. Pale skin stretched across bone, he seemed too far gone to save and even near death. He even would have welcomed death, if only for fleeting moments, to be reunited with his godfather who he still wasn't convinced was completely dead. It was in this stupor that his Aunt Petunia found him in, day after day, at breakfast, lunch, and dinner time.

            Usually, it was Vernon who came to loudly rant at Harry that the food was ready; however, since the events of last summer, Petunia had pitied Harry immensely once she realized the impact that his world had on her own world and what truly horrifying things there were therein. Not to mention the fact that since the threat on Vernon at the train station, he had hardly come near the boy, let alone ranted at him. Petunia approached the bed slowly and said in her most gentle voice (which still sounded like a sick pony), "Harry, dinner is on the table if you'd like some."

"No thank you," was Harry's immediate reply, the same one he had given every time this summer and though Aunt Petunia took pity on Harry, she was losing her patience with this response. This time, she lost it completely.

"Damnit boy, eat something! I'll not have you lying around like a corpse all summer, not under my care! Get up! Get up, or I'll drag you down to the table and force feed you!" When Harry didn't comply she did just what she said she would. Grabbing Harry's arms she whisked him out the door, down the stairs, and to the table where she called for Dudley to help. Dudley, of course, still being petrified of Harry from last summer, simply stared at his mother in horror and continued eating his own meal and watching TV. Vernon was not in the house at the moment, having gone to buy some lawn fertilizer. The drought was still on, after all.

At this moment in time, Petunia would not stand for insolence, especially not from her own son, so she practically screamed at him, "Dudley, get over here and help me this instant!"

            The young blob never moved so quickly.

            "I'll hold his mouth and you administer the food."

            Normally, Dudley would have taken this opportunity to shove the food into Harry's mouth as hard as he possibly could. However, being frightened of him and, at this moment, his own mother, he simply did as he was told, although with much nervous jiggling of fat. After the food was in, Petunia forced Harry to chew and swallow; and to make sure he didn't throw up, she put duct tape around his mouth after they had forced Harry to eat all the food she had made. Then she tuned to Harry and stared him straight in the eye.

            "If you do not start eating like a regular person, I will tie you to this chair and force feed you every meal for the rest of this summer. Do you understand!?"

            Harry, who had been somewhat more than taken aback at his Aunt's most recent behavior, quickly nodded his head, and when Petunia let him go, he immediately rushed up the stairs and slammed the door behind him. The next few days were spent in fear of Petunia who, whenever Harry would come down to eat, would stare at him over her hawk like nose in the shadow of the kitchen corner looking extremely like an evil killer in a slasher movie.

            Now, one would think that Harry, being the wizard he was, would have threatened to hex his aunt for this treatment. However, in his current emotional state, this option didn't cross his mind as quickly as it would have, say, when he blew up his uncle's hideous sister Marge three summers ago. When the thought finally did cross his mind, his conscience wouldn't let him do it on account of his aunt actually doing something halfway decent for him once in his life. Very soon, Harry's health had made a vast improvement, though his heart still needed mending.

            All too quickly, Harry found his birthday upon him. The wealth of presents from his friends didn't cheer him up any. Though he was appreciative of Hermione's gift, the book _Advanced Dueling Spells_, Ron's wealth of candy and food, the rest of the Weasley's various gifts (including a couple new products from Fred and George), and Hagrid's usual misspelled birthday cake, it brought him little comfort knowing he would not be receiving anything from Sirius. He did send his thanks and replies, along with his current living conditions (which he had remembered to send to the Order over the entire summer), but not with the usual gusto he had in the past. The only present that got even a little smile out of him was the sour ball, one of the new products from Fred and George, which caused his head to shrink for five minutes before he countered it with the included nullifying potion.

            After he sent Hedwig out with the replies, he lay back down on his bed and resumed his old hobby of staring at the ceiling. The last thing he expected was to hear a ring at the door. He knew that Vernon was out for at least three more hours, so this was definitely an unexpected visitor. He listened as Petunia opened the door and gave a little shriek in the process. Then he heard a low mumbling that he couldn't immediately decipher accompanied by a nervous Petunia directing whoever it was toward his room. He got up immediately, grabbed his wand, and stood ready for whoever was about to walk into his door. The handle slowly turned, and the door opened revealing…

You don't get to know until next chapter.     Please review.


	2. chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any characters related to J.K. Rowling's universe.

Author's notes: Just read and enjoy.

Chapter 2: An Unexpected Request

            "P-p-pr-professor Snape!?"

When Harry had heard the unexpected guest coming up the stairs to his room, the last person he expected to see was Hogwarts' very own Potion's master (not to mention Harry's least favourite person in the entire world), Severus Snape, opening his door. To say he was taken aback would have been a massive understatement. Wand still out, Harry slowly backed away from the Head of Slytheren House, and when he could back up no further, he just stood there, mouth agape, and started mumbling incoherently.

"Oh do stop acting like a complete idiot Potter," drawled Snape with his usual sneer, "or have you lost the ability to speak over the summer."

Now, Harry had been extremely angry with Snape after Sirius died. This was because of Snape's treatment of his godfather during his stay at Grimmauld Place. He had even nearly gotten into a row with his professor shortly before the end of his 5th year at Hogwarts. While it had been suppressed, this anger was now bubbling up from the depths of Harry's soul. It wasn't very long before Harry found his voice; and in a most vicious way.

"What the hell are _you _doing here!?" he screamed, loud enough to wake the dead, "come to give me a lecture on how to make a fucking dreamless sleep potion, or maybe a draught of the living dead so you don't have to put up with my fucking selfishness that I don't have, or that huge ego of my father's that I've never, ever, felt once in my goddamn short, pointless, fucking shitty life you son of a bitch!? I swear to god I should just hex you now before I even let you answer!"

Snape just stood stock still for a moment, watching the tears stream down Harry's face. Little can be said of what went through his mind at this point; however, he did seem to take a little of the edge off before trying to speak to Harry again.

"No, Potter, I did not come to lecture you about anything. I came to ask you a favor."

Tears still falling profusely, Harry slowly lowered his was and looked questioningly at Snape. "You're asking a favor of _me_?" At this point, Harry was extremely confused. Snape had never asked him to do anything other than, when you summed it all up, to fuck off and never bother him again. The fact that he had actually considered Harry to be able to do something useful was nothing in short of a miracle. However, Harry was not about to just accept such an opportunity from this man.

"Give me one good reason why I should even consider helping you."

"Because, Potter, it involves someone who, if you could look past your own problems, might just have lost as much as you did when that incompetent excuse of a godfather of yours fell through that veil."

"Don't you ever speak of Sirius like that in front of me," Harry said raising his wand, "or you may not come out of this house alive."

"Oh, quit being so bloody melodramatic, Potter," Snape replied, his usual drawl returning, "I'm not hear to bash your beloved Black. I want you to come to Grimmauld Place and take care of a little problem."

Here he paused to see if Harry would make anymore biting comments, but Harry simply lowered his wand and said, "Go on."

"I need you to talk to Lupin."

"Professor Lupin? Why would you possibly care that I talk to him?"

"Because he's been so dreadfully annoying over the past two months; I can't take it anymore. He locks himself in his room for hours on end. I always hear him sobbing when I'm trying to get work done. He eats close to nothing, which is a terrible waste of food. Then, when he does feel like talking to someone, he always comes to me. He's been almost clinging to me this past week and I can't stand it. Not to mention he's not getting any work done for the Order. You're the one he needs to talk to, not me," Snape finished, sounding almost exasperated.

Harry started thinking it over. _So Remus really does feel as badly as I do about Sirius_. Originally, Harry thought that because of Remus' initial reaction at the Department of Mysteries when he had held Harry back from trying to rescue his godfather, he didn't care as much about Sirius' death. Remus, however, was simply being strong for Harry's sake, and once the adrenaline and necessity wore off, the werewolf had fallen into a depression worse than Harry's. _Of course, he is the last one now, the last Marauder. He's lost all of his friends. Oh shit! _Harry finally figured it out. Of course Remus needed him. Harry was really the only thing the poor man had left. Harry had to go to him right away, but he still wanted to give Snape a little more crap.

Nonchalantly, Harry told Snape, "Well, it serves you right for treating him so badly all these years. I should really let you go back and deal with him by yourself." Here, Harry stopped and his tone softened, "but I will go with you, as long as it's been approved by Professor Dumbledore."

"It has been," replied Snape, sounding almost grateful for Harry's response, "The Order was to come and get you in a few days anyway. Now get your things together and let's get going. Come on, quickly now. Move it. My, Potter, you are slow."

After a bit of packing and organizing, Snape applied a disillusionment charm on Harry and they set off flying for London.

Though not pleased with his company on this particular trip, Harry felt a new peace as he soared through the air on his Firebolt, glad to be away from the Dursley's yet again, maybe never to return…

Hope you enjoy. See you next chapter, and a big thanks to all who reviewed.

Note to Lyaso, don't know if I'll continue that particular story. Sorry.


	3. chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any characters related to J.K. Rowling's universe.

Author's notes: I'm sorry it has taken me a while to update. School and Colorguard have gotten in the way. I was surprised at the lack of response from my last chapter as opposed to my first. If any were offended by the language, that is not something I usually do. I just figured that Harry would respond to Snape in that manner considering he is 16 now and 16 year olds swear a lot. I know I and about 1600 of my fellow students did. The language will not be as grotesque from now on. Anyway, time to see how Remus is finally.

Chapter 3: Unexpected Discoveries

            As Snape and Harry started their descent, Harry noticed something peculiar about his surroundings: everything looked absolutely normal. Apparently, there had been a neighborhood clean up project or something. The doors of the houses had been repainted, the piles of refuse were gone, the windows were all fixed, and the small square where they had landed on the first trip looked now like a jolly little garden with bright flowers. The neighborhood of Grimmauld Place was as picturesque as a small city neighborhood in the summer could get. The trees and grass were all vivid shades of green, and though the blue sky was still plagued by that small tint of brown that haunts every large city, the air smelled fresh and the sun shone brightly through the hazy wisps of cloud high up in the sky. The row of brick houses was no less imposing than a trip to the countryside, and all around there was a peace that Harry didn't feel the last time he had come here.

Of course, the last time he had flown to Grimmauld Place was at night, and when one is freezing and everyone else is acting like death could befall any minute, one tends not to like their surroundings in that moment.

Snape landed almost at the end of the street; being extra careful that no one was around. Harry landed a little bit behind. He dismounted and waited for some kind of sign from Snape to continue. After what seemed like an hour, the potion's professor finally waved at Harry to follow him and soon they found themselves at the hidden entry to number 12. The house inflated from between 11 and 13 just like last time, but Harry hardly recognized the newly repainted black door and the brand new golden lion door knob. Snape tapped the door twice with his wand, and Harry could hear the locks clicking and sliding to allow them entrance. As soon as they were inside, Snape turned, closed the door, and magically reset all the locks.

Harry looked upon the house that had belonged to his Godfather in awe. Nothing but the staircase was recognizable from what it had previously been. Bright, cheery torches now lit the newly painted hall, which looked as if it had been demolished and completely rebuilt. The walls, now free of their old portraits, were painted a deep burgundy with brightly painted tapestries and beautiful scarlet curtains. Harry noticed, to his satisfaction, that the portrait of Sirius' mother was now gone along with the heads of the house-elves. Along with these went the aging chandelier and gas lamps that had lit the house so dimly before. The ugly carpeting that had covered the floor was now replaced with richly stained hardwood, and the overall feeling was one of warm homeliness as opposed to the cold, secretive oppression that Harry remembered from what seemed now to be so long ago. Unfortunately, Snape, who had been residing there quite some time and hated every inch of the place, decided to snap Harry out of his revere.

Taking the disillusionment charm off of Harry, Snape stalked down the hallway saying to him, "Well, Potter, don't just stand there gawking like some slack-jawed yokel. Come on!" With that, he turned and entered the drawing room with Harry following closely behind, staring daggers all the while.

Once in the drawing room, he took a look around. All of the old tapestries were gone in this room, too, including "The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black" family tree. The walls were repainted a lovely shade of gold, and the ratty green curtains were replaced with gorgeous white lace. The only thing that remained was the old writing desk. Harry took a seat at the desk, which had contained the boggart that caused Mrs. Weasley so much distress the previous year and where he, the Weasleys, and Hermione had battled with a huge infestation of doxies; but memories of boggarts and doxies would have to wait for now as Snape was pacing the room staring intently at Harry the entire time. Harry noticed that his hair actually looked a bit cleaner than usual and that his skin was a little more tan than sallow. He continued to examine his professor a bit longer before the man finally stopped pacing and spoke.

"What the devil are you looking at, Potter? Are huge pus bulbs bulging out of my head? Are my teeth growing to the size of Roman pillars? Or are you admiring the truly handsome man that I am?"

Harry gagged openly, almost spilling the breakfast he was force fed that morning. "Absolutely not, you greasy bugger! I just noticed the greasy part seems to be a bit less than usual."

"Damn house is too clean's the problem. Dumbledore has insisted I live here these past two months. Too bright and cheery. I prefer my dungeon at Hogwarts thank you, not this torturous hell hole. The way it was before was much better. I feel like I'm in a flipping cage."

Harry chuckled. A cage? This place? But then again, Snape was never one for anything more than the darkest and dankest of atmospheres. Harry realized the change from his usual dim settings must have put an unwanted uplift to his mean, angry spirit.

"Serves you right, you git. Now you know how Sirius felt here last year. Bet it's not so fun now, eh? I'm glad Lupin's here to be a pain in your arse. I should just leave right now so he can continue annoying you to death."

"Yes, Potter, but I know you too well. Always rushing off to help your friends without any regards to rules or regulations. I'm surprised you didn't think of this sooner. As it is, I know you'll help your precious werewolf friend. It just wouldn't be the same mushy, righteous you if you didn't."

Unfortunately, Harry knew, Snape was right, but he wasn't about to admit that straight out, especially to the man he hated most. So, he opted for the quick way out. "Where is he?"

"Lupin? Oh, yes. He's upstairs somewhere. Just listen for the sobbing noises and you'll find him just fine. And do well, Potter. I would hate to have the both of you ruining my life for the rest of the summer."

"Oh, don't worry. I'll make sure the rest of your stay here is as unenjoyable as possible." Harry finished, with as bitter a tone as he could muster. He would make sure that man had an absolutely miserable time for the remainder of the summer, but right now, he had a more important matter to attend to.

Following Snape's advice, Harry started up the stairs; listening for any trace of crying or sobbing he could hear. He came to the first floor landing. Memories came flooding back as he passed the room that Ginny and Hermione had shared; memories of secret conversations and tense moments with extendable ears, hoping to catch some news from the Order. He couldn't here anything there so he continued on.

            The second landing brought back more memories; of the joyous reunion of friends just after Harry had first entered the house that turned into a row which later he regretted dearly, the first happenings of the dreams that would connect Harry to Voldemort directly for the rest of the year, and the constantly annoying voice of Phineas Nigellus. Harry walked over the floor as if in a dream, trying not to let the memories overwhelm him. He stopped to regain his focus and listened for any noises that would betray Lupin's presence. Hearing nothing, he continued up the stairs to the third and final landing of the old manor.

Although it was darker up here than in the rest of the house, Harry could see everything clearly. He stopped and listened carefully. He heard a noise to his right, so he entered the door of what he remembered was Mrs. Black's old bedroom. He expected to find Lupin inside, but all he found was Buckbeak, solemnly scratching at the wall. This room had not changed since he had last been here, except the obvious claw marks where the hippogriff had shredded different pieces of furniture in sadness and rage. Harry walked toward the beast, and when it lifted its head, he bowed a low, humble bow. The creature, surprised at first by another presence in the room, paused for a second before bowing back. Harry approached him slowly and started rubbing his neck.

            "I know, Buckbeak, I miss him too." He stroked the hippogriff's neck for a little while longer before returning to the landing to continue his search. Still not hearing any noise but the animal's scratching, Harry checked the other doors in the hall. He found another bedroom and the staircase leading to the attic before finally approaching the last door. He turned the knob slowly and went in. What he saw surprised him greatly. The room was plain with a small, brass bed, a curtained window and a roll top desk. Sitting at the desk with his head resting on it was Remus Lupin.

Thinner and shabbier than Harry had ever seen him, he looked as though an inch away from death. Silver-gray had claimed almost all of the light brown hair that hung thinly and loosely over his shoulders. Tear stains trailed down his young face where the lines of care and worry that the werewolf had always carried were so deeply carven that Harry thought he looked more like Dumbledore than the cheery young professor he'd once known at Hogwarts. He seemed to be asleep, but his breaths were sharp and ragged as if he was having a nightmare. After standing silently and studying the man for a while, Harry was taken aback when Lupin started mumbling, "Sirius… Harry… why… why… n-…no…no!"

            Fresh tears began to streak down his face and Harry found that he had stared to cry as well. He still hadn't moved when Remus' mumbling turned into screaming. Then, he ran to his old professor's side and shook him gently.

            "Wake up, professor, wake up! It's just a dream, professor, oh please wake up!"

At first it seemed Lupin wasn't going to wake, but Harry just shook him harder. Suddenly, his hands grasped Harry's shoulders and frightened, amber eyes stared piercingly into gleaming, green eyes; panic slowly retreating as realization dawned on the older man. A smile began to creep across his face as he remembered the face of his best friends' son. "Harry!"

"Hello, Professor," Harry whispered, still in slight shock from the sudden waking of the other man, "how are you doing?"

"Harry," Remus replied, smile still growing, "I haven't been your professor for over two years now."

"Oh, sorry. Um, what shall I call you then?"

"You could just call me Remus."

"Oh, all right, Remus," Harry said, feeling suddenly warm as the name rolled off his tongue for the first time.

"What are you doing here?" Remus asked with concern in his tone, "I thought you were supposed to be at the Dursley's."

"Well, I, um," Harry stammered. He realized he was a little embarrassed to admit the exact reason he was at number 12 Grimmauld Place. A slight blush rose to his cheeks, but he didn't reveal the real answer to Remus. "Dumbledore said it was okay for me to come, so Snape came today and brought me over." Harry then realized that Remus was still grasping his arms and he looked down.

Remus, following Harry's gaze, immediately let go of the boy mumbling and apology. "Sorry about that. You kind of took me by surprise."

"It's alright. You were having a nightmare. What was it about?"

Remus cringed a little at the question, but he told Harry anyway. "It was you, me, and Sirius in that room with the veil. He fell through and then I grabbed at you, but you were too quick and you went through too. I-I j-just started sc-sc-screaming a-and…" Here, he broke down into tears again and clutched at Harry like a little child. Harry just held him and stroked his back softly.

"It's all right," he whispered into Remus' ear, "it's all right. I'm here. I'm not running off anywhere, I promise."

Remus looked up into the younger man's eyes and saw that he meant it. "I'm sorry to burden you with my sadness, Harry. I just miss him so much. When he fell through, I had to be strong for you and the other children. I couldn't let my emotions take me over. After the whole ordeal, I felt so empty, so alone, like I had nothing left. I had lost all my friends. I thought you hated me for holding you back or for not going after Sirius myself. I'm so sorry. It was my fault. If I had just kept him at the house…"

"No, it's not your fault. If I hadn't rushed out to the Ministry in the first place none of this would have happened."

Remus gave a mirthless chuckle. "I guess we're both just fooling ourselves," Remus stated trying to collect himself, "In the end, there was nothing either of us could have done to stop it."

Harry didn't say anything for a moment. He had spent all summer convincing himself that Sirius' death was his fault, but now, holding this man in his arms who blamed himself as much as he did, he finally realized that maybe it wasn't anyone's fault. That it just happened that way. That maybe it was just because of Voldemort. It was still so hard to accept that, though. _But wait, _Harry thought, _why would Remus think that I hate him. _Even if they both took the blame for Sirius' death, Harry didn't blame Lupin for anything, and he especially didn't hate him. That was one thing he could definitely set straight.

"Remus, I don't blame you for any of this, and I don't hate you. I know that you were just protecting us. You had to. I know you've lost the same that I have, and I'm sorry I didn't think of you sooner. I was so wrapped up in my own grief, I forgot about you. I'm so sorry," he finished, tears again streaming down his cheeks.

"Don't be sorry, Harry. I knew how much it hurt you; that you thought no one else understood. I know that nobody else can truly understand what you're going through, but you're not alone Harry. You have such wonderful friends. And even this old fool is here for you, if you need me."

"Remus, you're not and old fool. You're a wonderful person and I'm so glad to still have you here. Please don't leave. Promise me. I'm so sick of people dying for me. I don't want to lose anyone else, especially not you."

"Harry, I can't replace Sirius…"

"I don't want you to replace Sirius!" Harry exclaimed, almost shouting, "I've never had a real father all my life. I don't need one now. I need a friend. Not like the friends I have at school, but someone who can share in what I've lost, and knows what I need…like you." Harry took a deep breath and calmed a little before he continued, "I know that I'll still see you as a connection to my parents and Sirius, but I've always liked you for who you are, and I know that you aren't any of them. I'll be happy just having you for you."

Remus was taken aback. He expected to have to father Harry now that James and Sirius were gone, and he was unsure if he'd really be able to do so. He thought that he'd be expected to replace the parents and godfather whom had all died so nobly protecting their child. But if this was what Harry wanted, he could definitely be that friend.

"All right, Harry. I won't be your father; I will be your friend. I can't promise I won't die for you. If I have to die so you'll live, then I will."

"What, just because of that stupid prophecy!? I'm sick of people dying for what I am to this world! I don't want it anymore!"

"Sirius didn't die for you because of some prophecy. He died for you because he loved you! I wouldn't give my life for you just because you can save the world. I would, I am giving my life for you because I love you too!"

Harry stared at the now almost breathless Remus in shock. He had not expected this show of devotion from the older man at all, and he didn't know quite what to think of it at that moment. Remus looked down in a way that implied he had revealed too much and removed himself from Harry's embrace. Standing and turning his back to the boy, he made a motion to the door. He was shivering like mad.

"I'm sorry for the outburst Harry. You can go now if you want to. I shan't trouble you more."

Harry just stood where he was not moving. His mind was swimming with all the new information, but he couldn't seem to decipher any of it. Why did Remus act like it was such a crime to admit he loved him? Wasn't that a good thing? Was it how he looked at Remus when Remus said it? He couldn't figure it out, but he wasn't about to let the matter drop. He just needed some time. Resolved in the matter, Harry slowly approached the other man and embraced him from behind.

"Don't be sorry you love me Remus, I'm not."

At this, Remus turned and stared wide eyed at the young man. He apparently had not expected Harry to accept his statement. A strange look crossed his face, and he started to lean in towards Harry, but then he jerked himself back and shook his head.

"Um, thank you Harry, for this," his voice sounded uneven, "Just please understand that I love you for who you are, not what you are."

"I do, Remus, and I'm sorry if I looked a little shocked. I'm not used to that kind of thing. I'll be here until school starts, so I hope we can get to know each other a little better before then. Just call me if you need me for anything."

"Same here, Harry, same here." Then Remus smiled a smile that seemed to take all of the years of worry and tiredness off his face.

Harry had never seen the man so carefree before, and something inside him began to think he looked absolutely breathtaking. Realizing what he was thinking, he quickly broke the hug and made for the door. "I'm just a bit hungry," he said, a faint blush rising to his cheeks, "I'll be in the kitchen, all right?"

"All right. Maybe I'll join you a bit later," Remus replied, looking just a little bit let down.

"All right." With that, Harry took one last look at his former professor and ran down to the kitchen, his mind screaming the entire time.

Another big thanks to all those who reviewed.

Next chapter, the plot thickens.


	4. chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any characters related to J.K. Rowling's universe.

Authors note: Just to clarify, I'm not quite sure if I'm going to make this slash or not. I probably am, but maybe not as soon as I had originally thought. But if it is slash, it will be Remus/Harry. It will not be Harry/Snape or Harry/anyone else for that matter. On that note, this chapter does have many thoughts of the homosexual nature so if you don't like that kind of thing, I'm warning you now. However, the rating will not change for as long as I continue writing this fic. Anyway, onward we go…

Chapter 4: Unexpected Feelings

_            Holy shit, Remus! What are you thinking? What are you **doing**?_

Lupin stared at the door where Harry had just run out, mentally kicking himself for what he had almost done.

            _He's only 16. He's your best friends' son for God's sake! How can you possibly be thinking about him like that?!_

Somehow, when he and Harry were talking, Remus realized that he was attracted to the boy; something he would never have thought possible. He'd never been attracted to James like this. Hell, he'd never been attracted to anyone like this before, male or female. The feeling was so new to him that he didn't understand it at all; especially why he was having it for Harry; a person who, especially now, Remus should never, ever have been attracted to. Yet he felt the pull so strongly that he had almost kissed Harry then and there.

_That wasn't even the wolf, either. It was just me. God! What if I had? What if I had kissed him? He would have been completely disgusted. He would have run straight away and I would have lost all that I had left. This has to stop. Now!_

However, feelings like Remus had could not just be easily erased. He knew they would show themselves whenever he talked to Harry, whenever he looked at the boy, even whenever he thought about him. He couldn't have that. He couldn't do that to Harry, but he didn't know if he had the strength left to stop it.

_Oh, God, I need a drink!_

But Harry would be in the kitchen, and Remus didn't know if he could handle being in the same room with him right now, so he resigned himself to visiting Buckbeak for the time being; at least until he could get himself under control. He pounded his fist to his head as he approached the door to the hippogriff's room. After entering, he made the obligatory bow and Buckbeak returned the gesture as per usual. He then sat up expectantly dangling his tongue just a bit.

"Not yet. You know feeding time isn't for another three hours. Just sit your arse back down."

Looking just a little forlorn, the animal complied and Remus went up and started to pet him.

"I have a question for you, Buckbeak. Do you think Sirius would mind the fact that I'm attracted to his godson?"

Buckbeak gave Remus a reproachful look and backed away from his petting hand.

"I thought as much, but I can't help it. I've never felt like this before, ever. Not even with James or Sirius. I just don't know what to do."

"Why don't you just leave and rid everyone of your sickening presence, Lupin? That way you'd solve both our problems," a leering tone came from around the doorway.

"Why don't you just pull your head out of your ass and do the whole world a favor, Severus," Remus replied growling. He was definitely not in the mood to deal with Snape right now.

_Maybe I should just hex him now and not deal with it,_ came Remus' uncharacteristic thought.

"So, our werewolf friend has fallen for the Potter boy," Snape continued, the nasty smile apparent in his voice. "Now what would his dearly departed friends think of that, snogging with their son? Oh, and I'm sure his incompetent excuse for a godfather would probably make quite a scene if he were still here. Of course, as stupid as he was, he might actually encourage that kind of behavior…"

"Quietus!" roared Lupin, his wand pointed straight at Snape's face. The potion master's voice was lost immediately as Remus advanced on him menacingly. Quickly, Snape tried to grab at his own wand, but Remus was too fast. "Expelliarmus!" he shouted, and then sent cords out of his wand to wrap around the other man. Snape fell to the floor and Lupin hovered directly over his face looking straight into his eyes.

"I," he heaved trying desperately to control his breathing as the wolf in him started to take over, "have…been…nothing…but kind…and understanding to you…Severus. However, I…am…about…to…lose it…completely. Do not insult my friends…my feelings…or anything else about me…because you…are no better…than me!"

At this, there was a loud pop and Remus disappeared completely leaving Snape still without his wand and still tied up in the cords. It was a while before anyone saw him again.

Another huge thanks to all those who reviewed.

Decided to cut this one short, but will be updating the next chapter much sooner.

Next chapter, Harry's side of the problem.


	5. chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any characters related to J.K. Rowling's universe.

Author's Note: So much for updating sooner. Oh well. I apologize to all my readers out there. I hope this doesn't shake your confidence too badly. Blame it on senior year in High School.

Bit of cynicism and sarcasm in this chapter. I don't like the way that people in Rowling's universe handle the subject of love and physical attraction.

Chapter 5: Unexpected Thoughts

            Harry sat in the kitchen thinking, the food on his plate being slowly mutilated by his fork. None of it had gone into his mouth as of yet; he was too preoccupied to eat.

_I did not just think that about Remus. I did not just think that about Remus. I did not just think that about Remus. I did not, did not, did not, did not… _and so on ran his thoughts.

It would not have been so big a deal if Remus was, in fact, a girl and if he was also, let's say, near Harry's age group. However, things never seemed to be that easy in the life of Harry Potter, and that definitely didn't seem to be changing now. Even if it wasn't Remus who he had thought about in this manner, it was still a man.

Of course, much of what was confusing to Harry was exactly when had he started being attracted to men at all? Had he stopped being attracted to women? Was this why he hadn't gotten along well with Cho? Now that he thought about it, Cho was really the only girl he knew he'd been attracted to. He thought Hermione looked pretty after she got her teeth shrunk, but he never thought about Hermione that way. Cho was the only girl he'd thought about that way, the only _person_, actually, that he'd ever felt anything for in a romantic manner at all.

_You'd think if I were gay I would have been attracted to Ron or Dean or maybe even Seamus. If I were attracted to men, why the hell would Remus be the first one I notice? Oh, this doesn't make any sense at all!_

Actually, if Harry knew any bit of psychology, it would have made a lot of sense. Having no parents and then having to grow up at a place like the Dursley's is not the best environment for obtaining heterosexual tendencies. As Remus was the first person that gave Harry the kindness and concern that he had always longed for from a more fatherly figure (besides Dumbledore, but nobody at Harry's age would ever be attracted to him), it was natural that Harry would be subconsciously drawn to him. Maybe not necessarily attracted, but definitely drawn.

But Harry had little knowledge of anything of this matter due to his upbringing. Hell, Harry hadn't felt or done a lot of things until this summer because of the irrational manner in which his stupid, horrible family had raised him. He had never cried so much in his life; he had never let himself divulge his inner feelings and turmoil this freely because he had always seen it as a weakness. What Dumbledore had said about Harry's greatest weapons against Voldemort being the emotions which left him most vulnerable, which caused him to take risks, and which assured he would never be as cold hearted or evil as his nemesis was subconsciously sinking in. Even consciously, Harry realized somewhat that though he didn't want to expose himself to the rest of the world, holding it all in wasn't helping much either. In fact, it was killing him.

Luckily, the less and less time he had been spending with the Dursleys, the more he broke out of his emotional shell. Even if Ron was still a little drawn in as well, Hermione certainly wasn't and she was having a great impact on both of the boys' behaviors whether they knew it or not. Of course, none of this could help Harry figure out his current state of mind.

 He decided he wasn't going to figure it out sitting and playing with his food, so he cleared off his plate and started to walk around aimlessly (because, as everyone knows, walking around aimlessly is the best solution for one's problems). Harry let his feet guide him while he dimly took note of his surroundings, trying to decipher the meaning of this new feeling and especially trying to figure out when and where it originated.

He wandered in and out of almost every room on the first floor before stopping at the staircase and deciding to actually pay attention to his climb lest he trip and fall down. When he made it to the second floor landing, he resumed not paying attention to where he was going and again wandered in and out of almost every room there. By this time, Harry thought he was making some leeway. He had traveled back mentally to his third year at Hogwarts and had started to piece together what he had felt for his DADA Professor at the time. He discovered he felt a lot more strongly than he originally realized, but his thoughts were interrupted as he tripped over a big black lump in the middle of the floor. He had made it up to the third floor unawares and as he passed Buckbeak's room, he had stumbled right over…

"Professor Snape!?" Harry exclaimed, looking back and seeing his Potion's Professor tied and gagged on the floor. Of course, the first thing Harry did when he recovered from his shock was roll on the floor and howl with laughter. This earned him a rather nasty look from Snape, but Harry was too far gone to care.

Snape continued to squirm and stare daggers at Harry who continued to laugh for a good ten minutes before finally getting up and saying, "No, I think I'll leave you there for a while. You need a good long time to think about how nasty you've been over the last few years, and besides, why should I ruin such a lovely job done by my favourite werewolf. It was Remus who tied you up, wasn't it? He's the only other around who could do so. I wonder what you did to set him off so badly. Oh well. I'll just be going now."

With this, he stepped back over Snape and returned to the lower floors of the manner leaving the distraught Potion's master to brood.

_Where was I? _thought Harry, continuing down the staircase, _Oh, yes. Third year. That's when I first saw him. _He remembered on the train when he saw Remus sleeping, he thought one good spell would finish him off. Actually, he remembered it was Ron who had said it, but he had definitely agreed with his friend on that count. _Was that it? I thought I only felt a great pity towards the man. Maybe I felt something else. Caring? The need to protect? I certainly don't think I thought he was attractive then. Maybe a little later. What about the Patronus lessons? _Harry thought back to his private sessions with Remus when he'd first learned how to beat back the dementors. _He was always so caring when he thought I'd had enough. Always right there when I woke up with that look of concern on his face. It was endearing, really; not that I noticed it that much back then. _That wasn't it. He again went a little farther ahead to the Shrieking Shack incident, when he first found out the truth about Sirius. Sirius…

Harry stopped a second. This was the first time since his godfather's death that the young wizard hadn't thought about him at all. He started to feel guilty that he was occupied with something else, despite the fact that this is what everyone, including Sirius, would have wanted him to do. He was starting to move on without even realizing it, and while that scared him, he began to realize that maybe it wasn't such a bad thing. He half expected that this horrible feeling would overtake him, but really, he felt fine. He felt better than he had in a long time. _Sorry Sirius, I guess it's just time. I still miss you though. I hope you know that I love you, even if I never said it._

Suddenly, a cool breeze passed through the manor, even though Harry knew that none of the windows or doors were open. As it passed, it seemed to take away the weight Harry had been carrying for the past two months. He even swore he heard a whisper saying, "_I love you too." _Then it was gone as mysteriously as it appeared. Harry looked about, trying to see if anything was there but saw nothing. He stood completely still for a moment and took a deep breath. Although he did feel relieved, he still felt that he needed to talk to someone about his feelings surrounding Sirius' death. He figured that would mean Remus, which brought him back to thinking about his current problem.

He remembered when Remus had hugged Sirius to his, Ron's, and Hermione's disbelief. _I felt so hurt at first when I thought Remus had betrayed me. I couldn't believe it. God, I was so relieved when he told us all the truth. I don't think I could have taken it if he turned out to be the horrible monster that everyone tried to pin him as. Damn Snape for telling everyone. Remus doesn't deserve that kind of prejudice. He's such a wonderful person. I was so sad when he had to leave. Maybe that was it. _Again, Harry thought he had pinned down the exact time he had first felt attraction for Remus. _But that really wasn't it either. Urrgh!_

At this point, Harry was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he walked directly into a wall. Snapping out of his revere, he looked up to see he was right at the front door to Grimmauld Place. Right as he was getting up off the floor, he heard a strange clicking noise. "That's weird," he observed before realizing the sound he was hearing were the locks unlocking. By the time he figured this out, it was too late to get out of the way of the opening door. He fell backward, reaching out in front of him to grab the door. Instead he grabbed the person now walking through the doorway. All was a fit of fists and feet until both men were lying on the ground, the newly arrived man on top of Harry. Looking up, two green eyes searched around, and after seeing sandy brown hair and a slightly lined face, they finally stopped on two amber eyes.

Harry and Remus then continued to stare at each other for a good ten minutes before both heard a door slamming and an irate potion's professor screaming at them.

"What the hell are you two doing, leaving the door open? Someone might have seen! It's enough that you both leave me lying on the floor tied up with no wand, but risking the security of this headquarters?! Damn idiots! No wonder…"

"Alright Severus, we get the point. I apologize for not closing the door. I don't know what came over me," Remus replied, getting up with a faint blush on his cheeks. "I won't let it happen again."

"See that you don't," yelled Snape before storming off and leaving a slightly dazed werewolf and a completely breathless Harry in the front hallway.

Another big thanks to all those who reviewed.

Next chapter, the tension builds.


	6. chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any characters related to J.K. Rowling's universe.

Author's notes: Well, what can I say? I've been so busy that I haven't been able to write any semblance of a good chapter for this story in such a long time. I apologize profusely and hope you all can forgive me. One of the reasons I didn't update, though, was that no one reviewed my last chapter, which is just as well because I was kind of unhappy with it. I didn't revise it as much as I would, because after reading it again, I only found a few problem spots, which I immediately revised. I also added a couple more paragraphs to it. I hope it's better now. Anyway, I hope you all continue to read this story. I'm not going to abandon it. It is definitely going to be RL/HP slash, but the rating will not change. With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 6: Discussions of both Expected and Unexpected Natures

            Harry was still lying on the floor as Remus brushed himself off. After Snape had stormed off, Harry was rapidly trying to think of something to say, but nothing came. His mind was numb from being that close to Remus for such a long period of time, and while staring into those wide, amber eyes, he kind of just blanked out. If he hadn't, he figured, he probably wouldn't have been able stay still under the werewolf's intense gaze. Notwithstanding, he thought he saw something behind that gaze, but truthfully, he was a little too phased out to tell. Either way, he was digging very deep at the moment to restart his brain and actually get some words out of his mouth. All the while his face was turning deeper shades of red until it looked almost purple.

            Remus, on the other hand, was trying to collect himself and escape Harry's company as soon as possible before he did some other idiotic thing. The entire time he was staring into Harry's eyes, he was fighting an internal battle not to make any sort of moves on the young man. He was trying especially hard not to just snog the brains out of his best friends' son, but he was losing the battle with each passing minute. _Thank Merlin Severus stormed in. Who knows what I would have done? I need to get away from Harry now, before something worse happens. _With this thought, he turned and began to move toward the stairs. Harry, however, had finally found his voice.

            "Wait, Remus! I-I need to talk to you, about Sirius."

            Remus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _Just calm down; you can do this. _Opening his eyes he slowly turned back to the young man who had addressed him and replied, "Sure, Harry. Just give me a minute to freshen up, alright?"

            "Alright," Harry said, a small smile creeping across his face. "I'll be in the library when you're ready." He then got up and walked down the main hall toward the library.

            After he was out of sight, Remus turned and continued to and up the staircase toward his room. _Freshen up? What are we Remus, a seventeen year old school girl preparing for a date? Why don't you just 'slip into something more comfortable' while you're at it?_ His mind recalled that exact same kind of conversation back in his seventh year at Hogwarts when Sirius had been courting a young Hufflepuff by the name of Susan Baker. They had just finished dinner in the Great Hall, and Sirius and Susan were standing in the doorway. The animagus was whispering in her ear and the young girl was giggling very annoyingly. Remus had tried to ignore it but to no avail, his sensitive ears picking up every word of the conversation.

             "But surely, Mr. Black, you have done it everywhere possible in the castle, have you not?" giggled Susan trying unconvincingly to sound like a prefect.

            "Well, surprisingly enough, I have yet to do it in the restricted section, which is funny because it's one of my favorite haunts," Sirius replied moving in a little closer to Susan's ear and almost casually nipping the lobe. "I hang out there all the time," he said, the smirk eminent on his features, "Maybe we could pay it a little visit."

            Susan giggled more annoyingly this time and said in a sultry sweet voice, "Okay! Just give me a minute to freshen up, alright?"

            "Alright, love. I'll be in the library when you're ready." Sirius placed a little kiss on Susan's lips before he let her run off to her dorm.

            Remus cringed when he realized how similar this conversation had been to the one he and Harry had just a moment ago, and he wanted to slap himself for talking like that twit of a girl who was too taken with whom she thought was the hottest thing around. It didn't help that Remus actually did think that Harry was the hottest thing around. _Mustn't think like that Remus. He's just a boy, nothing special. Oh, who the fuck am I kidding? _Exasperated, Remus reached his room and went straight into the adjacent bathroom to improve his appearance a little. He decided, eventually, that what he really needed was a nice hot, long shower, but he didn't exactly have the luxury of time right now as he didn't want to keep Harry waiting; especially if he was willingly asking to talk about Sirius. He didn't think it would be that easy for Harry to just want to talk to someone about his godfather's death, especially this early on, so he quickly washed his hands and face and spent a second brushing his hair before returning downstairs to find Harry waiting expectantly on the sofa in the library.

            Their eyes met the moment he walked in the door, and again he found himself lost in their emerald depths for quite some time before remembering himself and taking a seat in the adjacent chair across from the fireplace. _Deep breaths now, Remus. Don't let it get to you. Just be calm and be there for Harry. Alright, here we go. _Remus nervously cleared his throat and began, "So, what do you want to talk about?"

            Harry sat watching his former professor with much amusement. _He's so nervous. I wonder why. Lord he's cute when he's flustered._ Harry blushed at his own thought and began acting in a similarly nervous manner. "Well, uh, you see…" _Come on, Harry, don't sound like an idiot. _"Well, um, actually first I wanted to ask you…um…what happened between you and Snape earlier."

            Remus, who had been thinking about how cute Harry was when he was flustered, was slightly taken aback at the question. He had expected his young charge would ask about Sirius first, but he did realize that that particular situation did merit an explanation. "Oh, well, you see, um…" _Oh, Merlin, here we go again… _"It was just that, um, I kind of lost it," he finished weakly.

            "Lost it? Was he being a right ass as usual?" Harry inquired wondering why Remus would have picked this particular moment to go ballistic on Snape when he had ample opportunity to do so in the past.

            "More so actually," Remus chuckled, "He made a few comments that I just couldn't bear. I…it got a little out of hand."

            "A little? I found him bound and gagged without his wand. I'm surprised he was able to get out without either of us helping him."

            "Well, any snake can do that, I suppose," came Remus' uncharacteristic reply.

            Harry balked. "I thought I was the one who made all the biting comments about Snape. When did that privilege come to you?"

            "I'm sorry, you're right. I'm feeling so out of sorts lately. I just don't understand how anyone could hold a grudge for that long," Remus sighed.

            Harry almost reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, but quickly thought better of himself. "So, where did you go?"

            "Hm?"

            "Well, you came in through the front door so you must have gone somewhere."

            "Oh, right. Well you see, I got so angry that I, um, did a little bit of magic."

            "Such as?"

            "I…apparated to Diagon Alley," Remus said meekly, a small blush creeping upon his cheeks.

            It was all Harry could do not to run over and pounce on the man, he looked so adorable. He continued to stare at the werewolf until Remus looked up and caught his gaze yet again. This time Harry could see that the older man was searching his eyes and he couldn't keep the contact, so he broke it, looking down at the floor and blushing himself.

            There was a lot of blushing going on in this house lately.

            Remus was a little confused at what he was seeing. He could of sworn he saw hunger in the younger man's eyes. He didn't dare to get his hopes up, however. He was not going to let himself get carried away and do something he might regret in the heat of the moment. Though at this particular moment, with that hint of red on Harry's smooth features, he wondered why not.

            However, he opted on changing the subject, rapidly. "So, you wanted to talk about Sirius."

            Harry recovered himself quickly. "Um, yeah. It's just that, well, I think I might have finally have started to move on."

            "Oh, wow. That's great Harry. How…well…how…?" Remus wondered how Harry could possibly have started the healing process when he, himself, was still wallowing in his own grief.

            "Well, today was the first day since his death that I was so preoccupied with other thoughts that I didn't think about him at all for quite some time. When I finally realized it, it just hit me that I have so much left to worry about, so much left to do, that I can't keep thinking about him all the time. It's eaten away so much of my life until now, and if I knew Sirius half as much as I thought I did, I would think he'd slap me upside the head a few times and bitch at me about sulking over him like this. Besides that, I also think that, in a way, it's been established, to both him and I, I mean, that we both loved each other, even if we never said it."

            Remus sat amazed at the words of wisdom that were coming out of the boy. If there were so many horrible aspects in the life of the young wizard from having to grow up so soon, one of the greatest things was the level of maturity and humbleness it brought out in him; so unlike his father at that age. Of course, Harry wasn't his father, and if anyone, especially Snape, thought about him that way, they should have been immediately to St. Mungo's for a mental examination.

            Remus let out a heavy sigh. "It's funny, you know," he said darkly.

            Harry became a little worried at the older wizard's sudden mood change and responded in a concerned tone, "What's so funny?"

            "The fact that I've been through this kind of thing so many times and I have yet to realize the same things you have." Tears were threatening to fall from his eyes as he continued. "Here I am, the older one, the one who should be helping you through this, and it's the other way around. Merlin, have I become so pathetic?" The tears came freely now, and he buried his face in his hand trying to pull himself together.

            Harry, seeing the distress of his former professor, and with tears threatening to fall from his eyes as well, walked over to the chair where he was sitting and caught him in an embrace. Remus leaned into Harry's body and continued sobbing as Harry petted his hair gently.

            "You're not pathetic, Remus," Harry said with confidence, tears beginning to fall down his face, "You've suffered through so much. To come out as the person you have after all the shit you've had in your life just amazes me. I don't know if I could have possibly lasted as long as you have if I were in your shoes."

            "You're much stronger than I am, Harry. You probably would have made a better run of it than I did."

            "Bullshit, Remus. You are the strongest, gentlest, most caring person I have ever known in my life. You deserve some happiness, damnit. Besides," he continued, his tone becoming extremely bitter, "I'm not even going to last anywhere near that long in my own life."

            Remus immediately pulled out of Harry's arms, grabbed the boy's shoulders, and stared directly into the green eyes that were the reflection of his mother's. "Don't say that, Harry! You are not going to die anytime soon."

            "How can you be so sure?" Harry spat, "I only have one purpose in this damn life, you know that. You know the prophecy!"

            "Your purpose in this life depends on you, not some prophecy! You can make whatever you want of this life. There are too many possibilities for anyone to possibly get caught up on just one of them. Besides, can you honestly tell me that you would have not continued to fight Voldemort had there never been a prophecy?"

            Harry was faltering under Remus' intense gaze and he finally gave in and dropped his own, yet again, to the floor. He stuttered out his response, "I…I…n-n…no, I wouldn't have. You're right. You're absolutely right, I wouldn't have." He looked back up into now golden-brown eyes with renewed confidence. "I wouldn't have stopped fighting. He's done so many horrible things. I just don't know if I can be a murderer, Remus."

            "You know Harry," Remus started, still with eyes locked, "murder is defined as one human killing another. Voldemort isn't exactly human, is he? I personally think he's more of a demon now."

            Harry blinked. "I never thought of it that way. Maybe you're right, Remus. That would ease my mind a little bit, not thinking of him as human. Still, to have to use an Unforgivable…I …Even if I hate her, there's one thing Lestrange had right: you have to mean it. I…I don't want to mean it," he finished desperately, his tears coming in waves and his body shaking uncontrollably.

            Remus pulled Harry's head down onto his chest and stroked his hair comfortingly. "I don't think you'll have to, Harry. Do you really think a simple _Avada Kedavra _is going to finish him? No, it will take something much more powerful and different than that."

            Harry had calmed down considerably, now, and he pulled his head up again to look back into Remus' eyes. "Do you really think so?"

            "I may not know everything about it, but I do know you shouldn't feel like a murderer in the end." Remus' hand was still stroking the raven black hair softly and slowly, and both were again locked in each others' gaze. "Is that what you were thinking about earlier, when you said you weren't thinking about Sirius?"

            Harry huffed a little from surprise and tried hard not to blush when he remembered what he had been thinking about earlier that day. "No, no it was…nothing important."

            "It must have been if it took your mind off everything that's been going on lately. Besides, you're blushing." A smirk crossed Remus' features. "Come on, out with it."

            Harry thought that smirk was going to be the death of him. _Lord does he realize how sexy he is right now. _He searched his mind desperately for something…anything that wasn't the truth, but he was starting to doubt if he could actually do it. _But I can't tell him the truth, it would ruin everything. _He looked back into the eyes that had returned to their soft amber color. He thought he sensed something in them that suggested…want?...need? What was it? It seemed as if his former professor was giving him a curious, yet…hungry, yes that was it, a hungry look. _That couldn't possibly be. There's no way he could be thinking about me that way._ _Or could he be? _If he was wrong, he was still going to have to think of a lie to say to resolve Remus' inquiry; but if he was right…Could he risk that? _We've already said so much. Lord I just want this to be over with and out in the open. Maybe I can just tell him even if he doesn't feel that way. Maybe he can help me get over it or something…oh I have no clue._

            The answer wasn't coming easily, either. All the time Harry was debating what to tell his former professor, Remus was also battling with his body's impulse to move in and take Harry's lips in his own. _Oh, hurry up and say something, Harry, before I do something we both regret._ The tension was building in his mind and he didn't think he could take anymore when Harry finally looked as though he'd found his voice. Relief flooded the werewolf's brain as he knew his inner struggle would be put on hold for at least another few minutes; that is until his ears registered the words that came out of the young Gryffindor's mouth.

            "I was just trying to figure out…well…when I first became attracted to you."

            Harry watched as the calm eyes of the older man widened in surprise, and his stomach turned over suddenly with the realization of what he had said. _Oh, Lord, I've done it now. He's never going to speak to me again._ His lips were quivering, waiting in fear for what Remus would say. Minutes seemed to pass, hours in Harry's mind, though truthfully it was only a few seconds. Then every thought, fear, or expectation he had at the older man's response suddenly exploded and came to nothing as he felt lips on his own, tongue lashing out and begging for entry. His eyes almost fell out of there sockets, and he barely moved until he felt a strange, warm creeping of happiness come over him. He clamped his eyes shut and responded to the kiss passionately and enthusiastically allowing the tongue of the other man to enter as he, himself, lashed out with his own to do battle. There was fire under their fingertips and all over their bodies, running, flying, coursing through their veins and collecting in a certain area most of all. It was like heaven for both and there seemed to be no possible end to the incredible, wonderful feeling that consumed both of their beings…

            That is until a dark, slimy voice invaded the deafening silence.

            "Well, well. Look what we have here…"

Thanks to all who have read and reviewed my story.

Next chapter: "Oh, bugger…"


End file.
